Fringe: Imprint
by lupinskitten
Summary: On the eve of Walter's wedding, William Bell starts to wonder what is wrong with Nina Sharp. Contains heavy foreshadowing for later events. Sequel to "Tremors."
1. Chapter 1

**Imprint**

Flower petals drifted across the pavement, blowing off the nearest of the blooming trees, the pale pink blossoms trod underfoot as they carried boxes into the apartment. Nina Sharp tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and glanced across at her companions, the sound of voices wafting back to her as the men argued their way inside. Her blue eyes sparkled with merriment, for she had grown accustomed to their routine disagreements, and she picked up the few items that had fallen out of the box during the moving process and returned them to their place. Glancing up as tall, slender, dark-haired Elisabeth reappeared, she asked, "What are they fighting about now?"

"Walter thinks he can open a small window into another dimension or some such nonsense," said Elisabeth. She clearly did not believe half of what they talked about, and perhaps that was best.

Nina nodded and smiled but her expression darkened with concern when the other girl turned her back, taking up the box and following her into the coolness of the apartment. It was not far off the main campus and bore signs of Walter's occupation, for in addition to the new clutter of Elisabeth's furniture and packing boxes was his own scattered belongings. He had graduated with full honors and a doctorate and had already been offered a position as a professor at the college. His average grade had been higher than most of the graduating class, and the fruits of his labor were strewn from one end of the space to the other in the form of drawings, math calculations, and notebooks containing new concepts. Walter was a genius and now everyone knew it. He had been in a giddy frame of mind ever since and this made him good-natured, for even this argument with his dearest friend and colleague, William Bell, was met with a certain amount of good humor.

Older and more hesitant in such matters that might set them on what he called a "collision course with other worlds," Bell met her passing glance with mild frustration and returned to the car. Recognizing the indications of a coming storm, Nina wanted to go after him as she slid her box onto the kitchen counter but Elisabeth opened the nearest empty cabinet and asked, "Will you help me with these?"

Reluctantly, she obliged, handing her plates and watching her put them away. She could just see Bell out the window as he leaned against the car, arms crossed, thoroughly irritated. Unlike Walter, once he was truly upset it did not blow over very quickly. It took a long time to get him to that point, but on such serious affairs as the fate of their universe he was considerably less inclined to have patience.

"Walter," said Elisabeth as he passed the open doorway into the living room, "you are not arguing with him _now_, are you? The wedding is in two days and we have to spend the entire weekend together!"

"Bellie doesn't hold grudges," answered Walter cheerfully, and continued out to the car.

Watching him cross the parking lot Nina observed as they escalated into a proper argument, the distance such that she could not hear them through the open screen. She knew what was happening, however, since she had sat through this discussion before. William was warning him not to tamper with fate and Walter was arguing the merits of discerning if there was another universe. It had been his working theory for as long as she had known him and as intrigued as his friend was by it William Bell was far more cautious in intruding on it. She knew this would blow over as it always did, with both of them sulking for a short time and then resuming their usual close-knit friendship, full of witty banter and finishing one another's sentences, when they bothered to finish them at all.

"You worry about them sometimes, don't you?" asked her companion, noting her distraction. "You shouldn't. They always come back from these disagreements intact, sooner or later. And they are good together. I think given half an hour and the proper state of mind they could solve half the world's most serious problems."

"I'm sure they would say in fifteen minutes," Nina answered, humor surfacing, for both were unquestionably arrogant. Their dynamic intrigued her, for Bell was the dominant one, and Walter in awe of his talent but capable of holding fast on his own. Neither of them was much interested in principles.

Elisabeth fingered one of the plates, a lovely bluish-cream color, for she did not like the gaudy styles that were currently popular. Even her kitchen abandoned the usual garish tones of bold colors and favored pale colors, her having spent many hours lovingly repainting the entire apartment. Nina sensed a hint of longing in her tone and looked at her, for the first time studying the woman who was going to intrude on their trio. She was beautiful and taller than Nina but with fewer curves, the gentleness of her nature apparent in all her interactions. Wavy dark hair tried to escape the ponytail at the back of her head and her dark eyes observed the men in their conversation with open fondness. Nina had not quite known what to make of her at first, since she was not like Walter's usual girlfriends. He had been much more serious about her from the start.

She reached into the box and drew out a stack of smaller plates, carrying them to the other cabinet and placing them inside. Elisabeth was quiet and birds twittered in the trees outside, reminding them of the flourishing life of late spring. Nina was preoccupied, her thoughts with the two men she loved most out in the parking lot, who had abandoned their task altogether and now stormed off in opposite directions. Bell walked down the street while Walter returned and entered his office, slamming the door so loudly in his wake that one of the photo frames they had already hung up fell off the wall. It did not break on the shag carpet.

Nina left her companion in the kitchen and ran after William, the wind caressing her bare arms as she caught up to him. His handsome, sharp countenance was darkened with annoyance, his eyes hard when he glanced at her. She was not offended, for she knew the anger was not directed at her.

"Walter can be the most obnoxious, stubborn, arrogant… do you know what he wants to do? I have warned him time and again that tampering with the laws of physics, of inner-dimensional travel, could melt down the very framework of our universe, yet he persists in this notion that if caution is employed there will be no danger! There is _always _a danger when you attempt to open doorways into other worlds! You know as well as I do that our survival is all about balance, about order, and if one thing is cast out of alignment, if one mistake is made, then the fragile fabric that separates our worlds will tear and we cannot possibly _imagine _the consequences!" Bell glanced back at the building and stared at the window belonging to Walter's office. There was the slightest movement behind the curtain and Nina suspected he was watching them.

"You know how he is when his mind is wrapped around an idea," she said gently. "Walter has an incredible capacity for imagination. It fascinates him that such a reality might exist and he might be intelligent enough to discern a method of accessing it. You both have theorized that if multiple universes exist they are probably not on the same direct path. Does it not make you curious to know what your alternate self is up to?"

The wind blew her hair and she held it out of her face, smiling up at him in an attempt to soften his nerves. He relented by lifting his brows and offering her a semblance of a shrug. Reaching out and touching his arm, she said, "He will attempt nothing without your assistance. He is getting _married_ and leaving for ten days at the lake. He will not have _time _to disrupt our reality _and_ have a honeymoon. I think Elisabeth will keep him preoccupied."

A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and his expression eased as he looked at her. Few could "manage" him, but she was one of them. Bell conceded and she nodded faintly, indicating that this was for the best. Retreating to the car, she removed one of the final packing cartons and handed it to him. He went indoors, leaving her to sigh and rub the crick in her neck. She had not been sleeping well for quite some time. Memories of the accident, the abduction, the sound of screeching wheels and the thud as a body flipped up over the hood and hit the pavement haunted her. But there were other incidents too, things she had never experienced and could not have remembered; Lauren's memories.

The murder of her roommate had shocked the campus though few knew what had truly happened. Nina had tried in the months since to forget but it still remained with her, the empty side of the room where once her closest friend had sat painting her toenails. Her music no longer distracted Nina from her studies, her perfume was gone from the air, and friends no longer intruded to inform Lauren that a boy was on the phone for her. Lauren had been everything she was not, outgoing, social, adventurous, platonic in her affairs and popular with men. She had worn short skirts, knew how to flip her long blonde hair around her bare shoulders, and had an infectious laugh. In spite of her status as the biggest flirt on campus, she had been smart and held good grades in spite of her active social life. At first she had done nothing but irritate Nina, but now her absence left a void. She could not wait to get out of that room. The summer semester was beginning and she had a choice, to remain and take additional classes or to go home. She hated the idea of returning to the country and her parents' quiet life, but maybe that was what she needed, somewhere far away in which she could forget all about her pain.

Late afternoon light followed her indoors and she was relieved at the pleasant conversation she found there, for Bell was speaking amiably with Elisabeth and Walter had emerged from his office. It was obvious they disagreed but their capacity to find common ground overruled individual opinions. Walter brought in the last of the boxes and locked the station wagon and Elisabeth phoned for take-out. It was brought by a pimpled kid on a bike and he sped away again with an irritating turn of his card-decked wheels as it was dished out onto plates. Unlike the rest of them, Elisabeth did not like eating out of cartons. Nina tugged on the bottom of her short skirt and sat down beside her on the couch as Walter brought out a bottle of wine. Normally neither she nor Bell drank but on this occasion neither of them protested, lifting their glasses in a toast.

"To Walter and Elisabeth and their new apartment," said Nina.

Shaking his head, Walter said, "To friends."

Her companion said nothing but also drank the toast, his conversation pleasant as the night wore on. But he continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye, more attentive than usual in his thoughts if not in his person. Nina was accustomed to him looking at her, for he did it whenever they were together; her physics professor might not be able to touch her, but he could look. Over the last few weeks she had sensed more than a passing interest in him, a deeper curiosity than his usual affection. Leaving them to continue unpacking and promising to drive up the coast first thing in the morning, Bell and Nina left them bathed in lamplight as they finished the last of the wine. Settling into the front seat of his car and rolling down the window, Nina stared out into the darkness and said at last, "I like her. I didn't think I would, but I do."

"Walter has always had excellent taste in women," he answered.

It was too dark to see him but she looked anyway, barely able to make out the contours of his face in the passing car lights. Walter had first introduced them and ever since had retreated into the background, their intensity from the first moment of their acquaintance eclipsing him. Lauren had told her many times to go for it, but he was concerned with the potential ramifications on their reputations. She suspected it would not do him much harm in the long run, for men were immune to most scandals and a number of professors strayed with their students, though it was neither widely accepted nor morally ethical, but it might damage her own prospects. But her friend's death had given Nina reason for pause, the awareness of how life could, suddenly and without warning, simply end. Either one of them could be on an unknown collision course with fate and not live to see the dawn. Her usual restraint evaporated and a block from the campus she said, "Pull over."

He drew up to the curb and put it in park, her hand hesitating as she touched the door handle. She could simply get out and walk the rest of the way, even though he usually let her out at the door. Few people were around and there was less risk in being seen. But she wanted to do something else more and making up her mind, she slid toward him on the narrow seat and winding her fingers around the back of his head, drew him into a kiss. His lips parted under hers and she felt the increased beat of his heart, surprised but not resisting as he responded. It was instinctive, the way he reached for her, the touch of his hands against the thin fabric of her shirt, the excitement even an innocent caress sent through her. He turned the key to the engine and shut it off, the lights going out and leaving them in half-darkness. This side of the campus was all but abandoned and he was not concerned with being seen. She was careful not to hit her head as she climbed onto his lap, his mouth teasing her throat before he drew her lips once more to his. She kissed him slowly, lingeringly, sharing in the want and desire of each tempting caress, knowing this was all they had.

Both were breathing heavily when she drew back to look down at him, his hand having settled against the small of her back, his fingers half entwined in her top and resting against her bare skin. She had caught him off guard, for Nina had never been so aggressive before. Her forehead rested against his, aware of how he held onto her, and with a tension lurking in her normally sweet voice, she whispered, "Ask me to come home with you."

Every other time he had dismissed her without much consideration but now he hesitated and within that pause she was permitted hope. He might have relented if not for the car that came around the bend, its lights caressing the trees on the far side of the street. It returned him to his senses and he gently pushed her off him. "I can't."

It was apparent he resented it and as the car passed, she said, "If this is about being your student, I don't care about that anymore. _I want you_."

"I know you do but this isn't like you."

That was true, for Nina always played by the rules, determined not to push her future off course. Respect had always held them at a slight distance from one another, mindful that one misstep and the knowledge of it could forever cast her in a shadow. It shook her that he would admit it and with more anger than she felt, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Enough light existed for her to see his face, the concern that darkened his eyes as he looked at her. "Lauren," he said.

She knew what he meant. Lauren had done something to her; her _death _had had repercussions. For months she had pretended otherwise and insisted nothing was wrong, but though she had continued her studies and aced her exams, though her term papers had all been met by high marks and she continued to spend every waking moment with them in the lab, she _was _different. Nina reached for the door and he reached across and stopped her, his hand lingering as he said seriously, "What happened to you went beyond mere emotion. Lauren's consciousness, her soul, transported you somewhere else. She carried you with her not once but twice, and once after death. I have a theory about life after death that our research has proven; that a person is comprised of energy. Lauren could share hers and she chose to share it with you. I think part of her soul went into you and it still remains."

Never had he expressed any kind of a belief in ghosts or possessions, dismissing them offhand as scientific pursuits they could not yet comprehend. William Bell was nothing if not practical and his manner of approaching it retained a thread of common sense but nevertheless shocked her. Once confident she was not about to leap out and storm away, he removed his hand. Nina sat still and stared into the distance, her anger draining away as she realized he must have been forming this theory for months, noticing subtle changes in her. It was true, she realized. She was acting like Lauren. It was Lauren who wore short skirts, Lauren who was sexually aggressive, Lauren who had nightmares.

"I thought you didn't believe in such things," she said at last.

He continued to watch her, a certain amount of gentleness in his gaze, as he understood her apprehension. He could be cold and unflinching in the lab but with her he had always exhibited a certain amount of tenderness, like the affection Walter held for Elisabeth. It was different from the other girls Walter had spent time with, interested in them merely as test subjects and then as casual bedfellows. But for as long as she had known him, Nina had never seen William look that way at anyone else and it caused her to trust him in spite of the dangers in doing so.

"Scientific advancement is not set in stone; it is an ever-shifting grid in which an open mind is required to fully explore all the possibilities. We have not yet begun to comprehend what science may offer to us, and no theory is too unusual to be cast aside. I can explain where Lauren's abilities began, how they were triggered through violence, and how she was able to connect her energy with yours, but what happened on the road, where she took you, how you managed to control your destination… I have no rational explanation for those events. I thought this change in you might have been on a subconscious level, out of grief, but it is more than that. I have seen it in your expressions, the way you tuck your hair behind one ear, the fact that now you like music in the car where once you preferred silence. And as much as I appreciate your interest, it is not your usual method to attempt to seduce a college professor in his car."

This brought him a certain amount of amusement and he touched her shoulder lightly with his fingertip, Nina remarking ruefully, "I suppose if your consciousness were in someone you would behave yourself."

"I assure you, the scientific possibilities would be of greater interest to me than the particulars," he answered. Silence descended and she shivered in spite of the fact that it was a warm evening. His hand slid down her arm and each soft caress spoke of his empathetic curiosity. "Do you find some merit in my theory?" he asked at last.

Yes. It was the only rational explanation for why she had changed so much, why she was wearing such a short skirt, why she now wanted to listen to music as she did her studies, and why she was quicker to put aside her work and go out with the other girls, even why she drank more. She was known for analysis but had chosen not to wonder what had altered, had not wanted to think about it, and should have suspected he would pick up on it. She was reluctant to admit in this instance that he was right, but it was implied as she asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Find out if Lauren is in there," he answered, "but not tonight."

Once more, he was intrigued not by her but by something in her life, some aspect of her that fascinated him. If his theory was correct it contained a multitude of meanings, of possibilities, concepts that would preoccupy him for weeks as he discerned what might be gained from such knowledge. If the human soul was comprised of energy and could pass from one individual into another, what might be done with it? How could it be accomplished? Was it a one-time opportunity or could it be replicated? It was how his mind worked and one of the reasons she loved him so much, but in that affection was also a kind of resentment that it was more about his scientific pursuits than his interest in her. William was capable of prioritizing, something Walter had never quite mastered, intensifying his interest in one area to the exclusion of all else. Had he been different, he would not have resisted her as he did, but now he had another distraction, one that would bring them together yet separate them, as he looked at her as a test subject, a problem to be solved.

Nina had grown accustomed to the idea that Lauren was gone and the knowledge that a small portion of her might exist within her own consciousness unsettled her, for she did not know whether to be comforted or alarmed by it. If it were true what would become of Lauren if they drew her out? Would she truly die then or would she always be a part of Nina, a small portion influencing certain of her characteristics?

The look she cast him was full of uncertainty and he leaned over and kissed her, this time with more restraint but no less longing. His fingers winding around the back of her neck, he said, "It will be all right. I will make it all right."

Familiar arrogance, she thought, but as usual infinitely reassuring. She got out of the car, pulling on a sweater as she walked back to the dorm. Normally there were students in every room or smoking pot in the stairwell but since the term had ended most of them had gone home and those that had not signed up for summer courses would soon follow. A few of the girls were packing up their rooms as she passed, glancing at her as she entered her space and turned on the light. Lauren's bed was empty on the far side, the mattress bare. Shutting the door, she went to the mirror and stared into it. Nothing had visibly changed in her round face, the soft lines of her straight red hair bringing out the color of her eyes. Lauren had worn her hair in much the same way, but Nina's was long and thick, the envy of most of the girls in the school. Drawing it out of her face, Nina pushed any such thoughts aside and threw what she would need into a suitcase.

On Monday, she would have to choose whether to go home or to remain. It would only take one class to keep her on campus for the summer.

She opened the closet and pulled out the dress she had bought for the wedding. Normally she wore black but that was considered in poor taste so she had chosen something in an unusual shade of blue. Tilting her head, she stared at it and shut the closet door again, undressing for bed. It was an unspoken rule not to smoke in the dorms but she opened a window and rolled a joint, the drug bringing over her a state of calm as she blew the scent into the wind. It normally made her drowsy and after putting it out, she shut off the light and went to bed. Sleep came easily to her this time and for once she experienced no dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

In the morning, their conversation felt absurd, for it was not Lauren who looked back at her from the bathroom mirror as she showered and dressed, it was herself. The wedding was to take place up the coast in a small seaside town where Elisabeth had grown up. Her family was well respected and rather wealthy so their only conciliation in her marrying a new professor was that he was already highly respected in his field. Walter had different ambitions from Bell but similar in their design, Bell's intention to create a scientific empire and Walter's to be a part of it. Their glass and chrome dream lingered in the distance and would be the result of years of intense, concentrated efforts and successes in scientific advancement. Bell was known for his accomplishments, for he was older than Walter and had already published a number of papers on various topics. Walter intended even greater successes, and, he hoped, in a lesser amount of time—further pressed forward, Nina suspected, by his domineering in-laws.

She had met most of them at a rehearsal dinner the previous weekend and hated them all. Elisabeth was the only one who respected Walter not for what he might accomplish but for himself. This promised to be a weekend of both annoyances and happiness, for it meant spending a fair amount of time with people she could not stand, but at least in doing so she would be there for Walter. Though he had not said anything, Nina suspected Bell felt the same way and their mutual silence on the drive indicated their mutual reluctance. She turned on the radio to a station she didn't hate and allowed that to distract her, leaning her head back and closing her eyes behind her sunglasses. It was nice to be around him outside the lab, since he knew when to avoid conversation. It was never an unpleasant silence since even in their occasional disagreements there was an air of respect.

The weather was warm and they left the windows open, her hair floating around her shoulders as she stared out over the ocean, sparkling and blue as far as she could see. Their hotel was spacious but bustling, for there were two wedding parties there for the weekend and Nina watched as five groomsmen engaged in a loud argument in front of the building. She removed her sunglasses and tucked them into her purse, turning to find William standing behind her. The expression on his face was striking, for it was unusually amused. He lifted his hand and a hotel key dangled from it. "Walter only got us one room and the hotel is completely booked."

Merriment danced in his eyes and her mouth dropped open. This was almost predictable. For as long as she had known them, they had continually played these kinds of pranks on one another. Behind them, two hotel personnel rushed past and attempted in vain to convince the groomsmen to cease their disagreement. Nina reached out and took the key from him, glancing at him with her most serious expression. "I don't know that I can trust you to be a gentleman, William."

"Oh, I'm not," he answered. "But under these circumstances I will do my best."

It was a wicked prank in more ways than one, for Walter was not as concerned for their reputations as Bell was, but provided no one outside the family was aware of their presence here, it would go unnoticed on campus. Still, she could not help smiling at the idea of being forced to share a room with him. He followed her upstairs with the suitcases. It was a large, comfortable space with a seaside view and after hanging up her dress she went to brush out her hair in the bathroom. Working her fingers through the tangles, she heard a murmur of voices and emerged to find Elisabeth waiting for her. She looked very tall and thin in her fitted shorts, her skin flushed with expectation as she got up out of the nearest chair.

"I'm so glad you made it up all right," she said. "Come with me, Nina, I have an entire afternoon planned. The rest of our party doesn't arrive until this evening and I want to do some shopping."

There was nothing Nina hated more than shopping but she smiled and got her purse, sharing a lingering glance with William on her way out. He showed no immediate interest in leaving the suite.

Once they were in the elevator and the doors slid shut, Elisabeth said, "I couldn't _believe it_ when he told me. I _knew_ there was a reason Walter has had a smirk on his face all day! How do you put up with them and their childish pranks?"

"Normally," Nina said wryly, "I am not caught in the middle of them."

The doors opened and they emerged into the lobby. Elisabeth put on a pair of sunglasses and strode to the car waiting at the curb. "I know it is an inconvenience but it's only for one night. Tomorrow we will be off to the cabin on the lake and you can take our room. You don't mind him, do you?"

"William? No, no, I don't mind him." Nina bit down on one fingernail as the convertible drove down the street, wondering how Elisabeth could have avoided noticing the obvious. Of course, she did not spend much time with all of them, and she doubted Walter took much time to mention them at home. Or maybe they had become so efficient at concealing their interest from everyone that it now fooled even those closest to them. Nina was not certain whether she should feel a certain amount of accomplishment in that or not. She stared around her at the quaint old town, the whitewashed frame buildings and the perfectly manicured trees.

They pulled up to a stoplight and as her ticker blinked to turn left, Elisabeth glanced at her and asked, "If I tell you something, will you promise not to hate me?"

Removing her attention from a slightly familiar, tall, bald man in a fedora walking down the street, Nina turned to her in surprise. Cars pulled into the intersection as the light changed and Elisabeth said, "When we first met, I wanted to dislike you. I tried very hard to dislike you. Walter had talked about you so much, with such affection, that I thought it would be easy for me to dismiss you, but then we actually _met_ and I couldn't hate you. You wouldn't let me! It's not just that you are lovely, or intelligent, but that you understand him. You know what he is talking about all the time, all the neurons and atoms and electrons and all those damned physics references. I'm not a scientist. I don't have the faintest idea what goes on in his head half the time. But you…"

The light turned and she pulled out with more speed than needed, indicating her discomfort. Nina was caught off guard and said, "He loves _you_, Elisabeth. It's obvious to anyone with eyes."

"But _you_ have his respect and part of me thinks if it weren't for his friendship with William Bell, he would have chosen you. Walter tells me that William likes you and he practically worships the ground the man walks on."

Pulling into a parking spot in front of a beauty parlor, Elisabeth turned the key off. Nina shook her head and said, "I met Walter my first semester when we had both snuck up onto the campus roof to smoke pot. I spent months around him before ever meeting William Bell and he never once showed any kind of interest beyond friendship, and certainly nothing in comparison to what attention he has shown you. This is just nerves before the wedding. You have no reason for concern. Walter loves _you_. I like him, very much, but not in any way you might suspect. I admire him and think he has tremendous potential, but my affection lies elsewhere."

She could not be certain from her countenance if Elisabeth believed her or not, but finally the young woman nodded. "Then it is him, isn't it, the _other _scientist."

Opening the door, Nina did not answer and she dismissed it as they went into the beauty parlor. Elisabeth climbed into the nearest chair and began an immediate discussion with her stylist, with much hand-waving and nodding, their voices fading into the background as Nina studied the row of mirrors. One of the other girls invited her to sit down and she did, setting her purse aside. Warm fingers worked their way through the long, thick locks and the girl asked, "What do you want done with it?"

The image staring at her in the mirror reminded her of Lauren somehow, if only in the length of her blonde hair. Nina considered for a moment and said, "Cut all of it off, up to here." She held her hand slightly above her fingers. "And put bangs in it."

"You sure?" the girl asked doubtfully, fingering through it.

It would change everything about her and make her stand out from the other girls. It would forever sever her from the past, from everything she wanted to forget.

Nina nodded. "I'm sure."

A fan hummed in the background and the scent of products drifted in around her as the stylist cut it off. Long strands of auburn floated around her, wavering to the floor, but she did not attempt to stop them. Elisabeth was shocked when she saw it, so preoccupied with making arrangements for the next morning and how her own hair would be swept up that she didn't notice until it was finished. The change was so extreme that at first she could think of nothing to say and then she blurted out, "Nina… and I thought you were beautiful _before_. You have been hiding from us this entire time! It's … _transforming_!"

Nina found it strange to reach up and tuck her hair behind one ear because there was much less to tuck. Her head felt lighter and she wondered if the weight of responsibility had gone as well. She did not mind their errands after that, wandering in and out of shops and stores, carrying bags and being of use. Nothing caught her interest until she saw a little black dress in a shop window and as she considered it, Elisabeth said, "Get it. If you don't, it will haunt you. Wear it tonight."

It was somewhat daring but she liked it when she tried it on and by the time they were back to the hotel, it was getting late and she had several full shopping bags. She went with Elisabeth to change in her room and thought it quite a remarkable alteration in her appearance, far different from the demure college girl. Elisabeth's cousins had arrived and she faded into the background, continuing to tuck and un-tuck her hair and stare into the mirror. These had been her decisions, not Lauren's, but she wondered if Lauren was still there somewhere.

Elisabeth's parents had booked the secondary set of rooms on the ground floor for the ongoing wedding events and she accompanied the others downstairs, trailing behind them slightly self-conscious. She never tried to draw attention to herself but so far walking down the hall everyone had looked at her, particularly men. Her boys stood at the foot of the stairs, and she was aware of the instant he saw her. Walter saw only Elisabeth and reached out for her as she came down the last few steps, her hands falling into his as the girls around her dispersed. Music drifted toward them through the open doorway and she felt his eyes on her as he approached. Reaching out to take her arm, Bell leaned into her ear and said, "Normally I don't use terms my students would be familiar with but I think the appropriate response is… _bitch'n._"

She laughed at his popular turn of phrase. "That is something I never thought to hear come out of your mouth."

"I may insist my students use proper English in the classroom but I am not entirely unaware of social norms."

A waiter offered them champagne and she declined, following him out onto the terrace and away from the noise. She leaned her arms against the wide stone railing and stared out over the sea as the sun crept toward the horizon, painting everything in a shade of amber-orange. His gaze remained on her and she intentionally avoided it until he said, "I mean it, Nina. I like it, very much. It suits you and it makes it very difficult for me to remain a gentleman."

Turning toward him and lifting her brow, Nina asked, "Are you flirting with me, Professor Bell?"

"Haven't I been flirting with you since the day we met?" He leaned against the balustrade beside her and smiled. The musicians continued into another song and couples began to pair off, Walter and Elisabeth among them. Her arms were around his neck and they were whispering together, moving in perfect unison.

Nina lifted her brow and said, "Sometimes, and sometimes you are intent on reminding me of my place."

"You are not still upset about the term paper, are you? That was months ago."

"Women never forget these things."

Guests moved around them and drifted indoors as the sun went down, leaving them alone on the terrace. He held out his hand and she accepted it, permitting him to draw her into his arms. She knew the steps, as he did, and he led. "When we had our discussion in the car last night, you didn't argue with me," he said. "You would have if you did not think I was right, but what is it that convinces you I _may _be right?"

"You mean other than your charming personality?" Her blue eyes twinkled at him and she rested her head on his shoulder, staring into the glorious room hung with strands of twinkling lights and yards of gauze. "Lauren used to have nightmares. Whenever she was upset or particularly excited, she would experience them and that's when she would flicker. She mentioned them to me once or twice but never in detail and ever since her death I have been experiencing similar vivid dreams. I know it is not my imagination; I could not have envisioned such detail on my own. It is her memories, her fears, stuck inside my mind." Lifting her head to look up at him and tightening her hold, she said, "Maybe you are right, and there is a tiny bit of Lauren left behind."

He wanted to speak but did not have his chance, for voices called out to them and they were drawn back into the hotel, together throughout the evening but never with a moment in which to confide in one another. It was an orderly event and Nina refrained from insulting anyone, even those who did look down their noses at the groom, and the most amount of time she spent with Walter was when he nudged her in the ribs and said, "About the room… I figured you wouldn't mind." Grinning at her, he nodded his approval over her new appearance and went ruefully away to speak with his future father-in-law.

It was well past midnight when the guests went upstairs, and Nina kept on her smile until in their room, where she sank onto the end of the bed with a sigh. "Thank God, my feet were about to fall off," she said as she removed her high heels.

Bell turned the lock and slid across the bolt, then dropped his keys onto the sideboard. He was unusually quiet as he watched her. She never knew what was on his mind and wondered for a moment if he was considering how opportune these arrangements were. Nina had stayed in his apartment before, safely tucked away on the couch with Walter sleeping in the next room, but here it was different. They were miles away from campus, the room booked under Walter's name and not theirs, and when faced with the possibilities she experienced sudden nerves. She had never done this before and as much as the idea excited her, she could hear her mother in the back of her head, warning her against such sins. She had a choice, a decision to make, and her voice was demure as she said, "At the risk of tempting you, Professor, I'm going to need your help. The one downside of this dress other than it being extraordinarily tight is the zipper."

His eyes were dark in the shadows, Nina feeling a sense of exhilaration as he moved forward. She turned to her side and felt the bed move as he sat down beside her, his hand resting at her waist and gliding upward as he found the hook and drew down the zipper. The fabric parted beneath it, the faint sound erotic. She could feel the warmth of his hands through the dress. He had pulled it far enough for her to do the rest, his presence lingering for a moment before he withdrew. The faint sound of crystal told her he had gone to the sideboard and poured a drink. "I should take the couch," he said.

It was uncertain whether it was a statement or a question. Nina looked up at him, intensity in her eyes. "You don't have to."

"Oh, I think I do." He swished the contents of the glass around and offered it to her, their fingertips brushing against one another as she took it from him. It was water but with a touch of something else, mint perhaps. "The nightmares," he said. "Do you… travel as she did?"

This was something she was unsure of and she shrugged. His countenance was unreadable in the gloom as he retreated to the window and drew it open, allowing in the sound of the ocean. Nina drained the glass and said, "You are _not_ sleeping on the couch."

She went into the bathroom to change, staring at herself in the mirror and wondering if this was her or Lauren. She was afraid, intimidated, for as much as she had thought about this, had imagined up instances in which they might take their relationship further, she had never considered them becoming a reality. Sometimes it worked, it drew a couple closer together, and sometimes it didn't. Was what she had with him the intensity, the interest, the shared repressed passion, worth risking? Lauren would have said it was, but then Lauren had never been wise, or prudent, or careful. Lauren had been astonished to find a man not interested in putting his hands where they did not belong; and it just so happened that man had killed her; not intentionally, but she was still dead nevertheless.


	3. Chapter 3

The lamp was out when she returned, only a faint shimmer of moonlight illuminating her way. She climbed in beside him and was careful not to lie down too close, staring at his back. She tried to relax and sleep, knowing she would worth nothing in the morning if she didn't, but couldn't. Her awareness of his being there was too much, her desire for him to turn over uninhibited. She considered reaching out and touching him but her respect for his wishes remained intact. It was quiet for a long time but both of them were awake. Her lips parted but no sound came out, her head lifting slightly as he turned over and met her gaze. Nina moved nearer to him and touched his lips with hers; he started to kiss her and then suddenly drew back. She followed him in his flight, his name on her lips as he sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. "William," she said, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his neck, "come to bed."

He shuddered and she felt his skin tingling beneath her touch. "Nina," he murmured as she continued to tease him, sliding her hand inside his shirt. "Nina… _I gave you a sedative_."

"_What?_" She withdrew her arms and he turned to her.

"I thought this might be a prime opportunity to test my theory about Lauren's consciousness but in order to dream you must reach a deeper state of sleep than I knew you would under the circumstances."

Nina stared at him and felt the first hint of rage beneath her incredulousness. "You _drugged _me?"

He flinched. "Nina…"

Throwing off the covers, Nina got out of bed and started to pull on her shoes. "I can't _believe_ you! What, like you're some horny teenager giving me a date-rape drug? And you thought I would be _okay_ with it? Or did you not even intend to tell me?" She was too mad to see straight in the gloom and gave up on her shoes, kicking them aside and storming to the door. He got there ahead of her and slammed it shut as she tried to open it, his hand remaining flat on the surface. Warmth rushed through her, a reaction of anger as much as sudden drowsiness. "Let me out!"

"Nina, listen to me!"

She was feeling slightly faint. "William, I mean it, let me out!"

"I am sorry," he said.

Her legs wavered and she leaned against the wall behind her, staring up at him in the partial light. "That doesn't even begin to cover it. You just do things without regard for the consequences, in the assumption that I will always forgive you because I love you. That's how your mind works. You know me so well as to predict what I will do but you forget that I know you too, William. I know you are ambitious to a fault, reckless when it comes to relationships, and just arrogant enough to believe you always know best. But you cannot do this to people; you cannot use them for your own amusement, even if it is for some 'greater purpose,' as you like to say. Someday one of us is not going to appreciate your interference and is going to hate you for it."

In the silence that surrounded them following her statement, he considered and asked softly, "Is that all?"

She hated him in that moment because she knew he was going to get away with it, as he got away with all things. He knew her far too well and understood that she respected him too much to ever turn her back on him, even over such a violation as this. She would have agreed had he asked her but it was that he had _not_ asked her that she resented the most. It was not about a sleeping tablet, or his intentions, or even his scientific single-mindedness, but that he had not bothered to consult her.

Nina stared at him, feeling her anger rising even as her body gave way to the influences of the drug. She reached up and slapped him, hard.

Tension existed between them until he looked at her, unconcerned, for he knew he deserved at least that much.

Putting her finger in his face, she said, "Don't _ever _do anything like this to me again without asking me first. Do you understand?"

"Completely," he answered.

Nina tried to walk on her own but her legs gave out and he caught her, supporting her as he returned her to the bed. She lay back into the pillows and fingered the top button of his night shirt as he sat beside her. He was always so put together, so repressed, even though in the laboratory he could be unflinching. Her fingers slid between the fabric and she felt him respond instinctively, his eyes closing in resignation. Good. She wanted him to suffer awhile. She was already feeling its affects, drowsiness as her hand dropped to the coverlet. He stroked her arm in a rhythmic motion until she fell asleep…

She stood in a lonely, darkened child's room. There were handmade drawings pinned to the walls, some of them frightening as she stared at them, ominous in the looming shadows that surrounded a little girl. She went nearer and stared at the printed signature on one of them. _Olivia_. There was a lump in the bed, beneath the covers, and she approached hesitantly, tucking her short hair behind her ear as she reached out and drew back the coverlet. There was no child there, only a small teddy bear with one eye next to a mound of pillows.

"Who are you?" asked a voice from behind her, and she turned to find a child crouched in the corner, her arms wound around her knees. She did not seem all that surprised to find a strange apparition in her room, her long blonde hair spilling around her shoulders. She was the very image of Lauren.

Nina opened her mouth to respond but hesitated as she heard footsteps in the passage and Olivia flinched, drawing into herself as she stared with intensity at the closed bedroom door. Nina experienced her alarm, glancing over her shoulder as he stood for a long moment in the outer hall, as if listening for any indication she was not asleep. The hair lifted on the back of her neck and stood up on her arms, holding her breath until he moved on. Olivia relaxed as the sound of another door shut along the hall. Moonlight fell through the curtains and illuminated the bruise the little girl face. Her heart stopped and she whispered, "Olivia, tell me who he is. I can help you, but I must know who he is."

A hand descended on her arm and made her aware of his presence, for he stood behind her and had emerged from the shadows. Nina looked into his face in surprise and he said, "We haven't much time."

Olivia's brow furrowed and she asked hesitantly, "Dr. Bell?" She looked as if she had never seen him before, as if only the sound of his voice had had been familiar. Nina reached out to her but never touched her, the room shifting around her until they were once more in the hotel room. It was not Olivia's arm her fingers closed around, but William's hand. They stood in the center of the space and he caught her as her knees buckled, leading her to the foot of the bed. She sank down onto it and stared up at him.

"How?" she asked. "How did I take you with me?"

"You wanted me there," he answered, his fingers entwining in her hair. "I wish you could have seen it, Nina… you started to glow from within and you became almost transparent but as your consciousness carried you away, you reached out and caught hold of me. I do not think you were even aware of it, but in the next moment I was with you in that room, in that house, in the future, with Olivia. I was right in my theory; Lauren did remain behind. I do not think her consciousness remains, but her talent does, her gift influencing your dreams. She wanted you to know something. If I am right in my theory that our souls are energy that is released into the air at the moment of our death, Lauren's consciousness would have been in that room. There are two possible theories: that Garret's time-manipulations with the energy in the space drew her into both of you, or that whatever remained of Lauren _chose _to connect to you in that instant."

A breeze caressed the curtains and the faintest glow of morning filled the room, dawn still moments away. Nina liked the excitement in him, the passion, for his enthusiasm was apparent as he explored the possibilities. It was cold in the room and she pulled on her dressing gown, leaning into him for warmth. His expression was familiar to her, one she had seen many times—intense enthusiasm. It was how he looked when explaining a physics equation, when proving something in his research, when finding a solution to a complex problem. William was in his element and she knew how delighted he was in having "traveled" with her, that if it were not for Walter's wedding he would drive her home at once, hook her up to one of his machines, and attempt to discern what it was about her other than Lauren's consciousness that allowed her to travel.

"Why would she do that? Why would she want me to suffer her fate, to experience her nightmares?"

Walter liked to pace when thinking but Bell was the opposite; he remained very still and calm, only his mind racing as his hand absently stroked her arm, his dark eyes shifting into the distance as he said, "Lauren traveled frequently but what if she was continually drawn to places in her own family's past and future, places that formed large amounts of negative energy due to traumatic events? Lauren would have done everything in her power to protect Olivia, but what if she saw her own death? What if she knew she would not be there?"

The family's decision to ask Nina to become Olivia's godparent was foremost in her mind, and had been curious at the time. Marilyn had said it was out of respect for her sister's wishes. Nina had not understood until now. "So you believe if her consciousness remains, she is attempting to warn me?"

At his nod, she said, "But Olivia did not recognize me. She didn't know who I was."

"We must assume therefore that you are of some influence in her life without her awareness of it."

Rising, he caught her expression and said, "Nina, one does not have to be present to have an incredible amount of authority in another's life. It merely depends on the … _imprint_ you leave behind."

His choice of words caused a shiver to run down her spine and for the first time she wondered at the nature of his interest. "William, what do you hope to gain from this?"

"Beyond appeasing my curiosity, further insights into immortality. The entire theory of science is under the assumption that every living thing has a beginning and an end, but what if time was not relative and we could transcend our own deaths through ensuring that our consciousness could remain even after our bodies were gone? Imagine the possibilities of that, of preserving the most important minds for decades, perhaps even forever. Some of the greatest thinkers and scientists of the past could have been preserved; but what if we could begin to preserve them even now, to ensure that future generations benefitted from their wisdom? Think of it, Nina, an entire lifetime, maybe more than that, of inventions and discoveries, advancements beyond our imaginations."

Nina narrowed her gaze as she watched him, her voice containing a certain amount of skepticism. "You mean a fountain of youth born of science, an endless succession of bodies for the same soul?"

"Yes and why not? We will find bodies no longer needed, comatose, insane, demented, and give them new life."

The first faint ribbon of light penetrated the darkness, stealing across the floor toward them and Nina drew her feet up, sensing the cold. Bell noticed her lack of enthusiasm and asked, "What is it? Do you think it a mad theory?"

"Not any more than your other theories, some of which have had merit. But isn't it dangerous to play God? To assume some power over the dead, and find yourself capable of resurrecting them?" Nina stood up and went to him, resting her hand on his arm and looking up into his curious dark eyes. "Anything you create, anything we invent with a potential for good, in the wrong hands could become evil. It is the nature of the world. Imagine a dictator, a serial murderer, an assassin coming back to life again and again."

They stared at one another for a lingering moment and he touched the side of her face with his hand. "If such a thing is possible, if I can discern how to do it, it will not be for sale to the highest bidder."

She had an understanding of what he meant and it disconcerted her; that he would use it to choose who would live again and who would not. But this was far-fetched even by his standards and she suspected him incapable of accomplishing it. He sought for agreement in her countenance and she granted it to him, a moment of silence intruding before she asked, "William, if you manage to get Lauren's consciousness out of me, will she die?"

His thumb caressed her bottom lip as he answered, "She _is_ dead, just some of her energy remains. How much, I do not know."

Not liking this answer, Nina went to the window, brushing aside the curtain and staring out at the ocean. It was so early that no one was about. The fresh air gave her newfound clarity and she leaned against the sill. Bell came up behind her but made no effort to touch her again, content to allow her to ponder the mysteries on her mind. Presently she said, "I never thought any of this would happen to me. I never meant to enroll in Harvard and spend my entire freshman year conducting experiments in the basement with two deranged scientists. And I certainly never intended _this_ to happen. I was always the good student, the one who handed in her papers on time and never caused trouble, not even for parents as utterly boring as mine are."

She turned around and slid down the wall to the floor, leaning her head against it and smiling ruefully up at him. "I enrolled less than a year ago and had never met any of you and now we are all so _entwined_. First Walter and then you… he's getting married and we don't exist. There is no 'us' because like or not, when we return tomorrow, that's it. You have to return to being the professor and I must be the student. Even when you hook me up to one of your machines and fill me with one of your drug cocktails, I'm still not your equal and I never will be."

This, he did not respond to, knowing she didn't want him to reassure her as much as listen. His hand rested on the back of the nearest chair and he crossed one leg over the other, staring down at her. Nina lowered her gaze and studied her hands, resting against the folds of her dressing gown. "And then there's Lauren," she said at last. "Poor Lauren who never meant any harm, who just wanted to live life to the fullest, and died for no reason at all; my life has been about her all year in some way or another. First, me not wanting her in my room, then making friends with her, then discovering what she could do, then her death, and she is lingering even now, in more ways than me just learning to mourn her absence. It makes me wonder how much we truly understand about death, if there is any higher purpose in _life_."

"Searching for divine providence in life is counter-productive, because each theory has merit," he said. "You could look at her death and call it the absence of God, or you could look at her essence connecting to you as the presence of God. She saved your life and in exchange she wants you to save Olivia."

He moved forward at the pained glance she sent him and sat down beside her on the floor.

"But how do I do that if I don't even know where it happens, or who is trying to hurt her? How do I know where I will be in nine years?"

She rested her head against his shoulder and his fingers entwined with hers, the sound of the ocean constant in the background. "In nine years, you will be working with me at Massive Dynamic."

Amusement appeared and she lifted her head to look at him. "Is that so? What if I get a better offer?"

"You won't, at least not with the kind of benefits I am offering." A smile curved his lips and he leaned toward her, hesitant until she responded, his mouth parting hers gently as he put his arm around her. Soft fingers caressed the line of her back and she rested against him, happiness settling in her soul as she realized his mind was only on her, not on Lauren or returning to Harvard or the fact that his best friend was about to get married. Tomorrow, they would drive home and resume their charade, but for now she was content.

Yet in the back of her mind, she could not forget the tearful, pale little girl who had looked at her as if they had never met before, as if she had never seen her in her life. "Aunt Nina," that's what Lauren's sister had said that Olivia would call her as she grew up.

_That was the trouble with glimpses into the future_, she thought._ Sometimes you didn't like what you found there._


	4. Chapter 4

Breakfast was eaten out on the terrace and even though it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, Walter and Elisabeth joined them. She was slightly nervous but excited and her hand was never far from his, the ring on her finger gleaming in the morning light as she picked at her breakfast and exchanged greetings with family and friends that trickled out as their hour together wore on. Elisabeth was handling the situation quite well, with an unusual amount of calm that Nina admired. Her concerns of the previous day had faded and she was pleasant, even grateful to Nina for having reassured her there was nothing between her and Walter. Nina wasn't demonstrative in public but made certain to be slightly more so over the course of the meal and this seemed to grant Elisabeth greater confidence. With sunlight came her own renewed sense of mischief and more than once as she sat next to Bell at the outside table, her hand drifted to his knee.

Though aware of it, he did not brush it aside as usual and breakfast was a cheerful affair. Walter ordered blueberry pancakes. He had spent months creating the perfect syrup for them in the lab and removed a small container of it from the case he carried everywhere with him. "Never go unprepared," he said. It was the funnier moments like these that made Nina like them both; the stark contrast with the always-serious William Bell and the mischievousness of his best friend, a man whose intellect rivaled his own but who contained a far more jovial sense of humor. His self-assurance only faded when Elisabeth got up to speak with her parents. He watched her walk away with a kind of quiet awe.

"Am I mad, Bellie?" he asked, turning back to them, as if pleading for them to inform him this was simply a dream.

At the far table, Elisabeth leaned in to kiss her father on the cheek, her arm resting on his shoulder, the wind tousling her dark hair. She was very tall and pretty in her sundress, her cheeks flushed with happiness. Bell regarded her with appreciation and then asked good-naturedly, "You mean in general or in this moment?"

"Am I mad to think I can be worthy of her, that I can create something worthy of her? Or is she perfection?"

Nina played with the straw in her orange and mango juice and said, "Oh, she's far and above you but I think you can hold your own."

He sent her an amused glance and she grinned at him, settling back into her chair. Walter looked from her to his friend and back again. "You two would do just as well, if it weren't for your damned principles. Nina is not going to wait for you forever, Bellie."

One brow went up and Bell hesitated before his dark eyes lifted and he said, "She won't have to. MIT has offered me a teaching position for next term. They've wanted me for years but ever since my article on particles, they have been more aggressive in their persuasion."

It was as if he had struck them all across the face. Nina and Walter stared at him in shock, the conversation and laughter of the tables around them receding into the distance. He could have told her any one of a dozen times over the last several days but he had remained silent. She wondered how long he had been considering it. Nina said nothing but Walter leaned forward, his wonderful meal of blueberry pancakes and fresh fruit forgotten. "This was not what we agreed," he said. "We agreed that you would remain at Harvard, that we would work together!"

"And so we shall, Walter, but not at Harvard; you need room to breathe, to become your own man. You are capable of great things, but our collaboration must suit us both and I need to begin to build Massive Dynamic. The board members at MIT have very deep pockets and an intense interest in my research. Our experiments will continue but it is you who will flourish at Harvard, who will become their most-prized professor. They never particularly wanted me, as you well know, but they took me to prevent anyone else from having me. You on the other hand are a product of their science department, their brain child. They will give you whatever you want, and that will be beneficial to us both."

Silence lingered in the air between them as the waiter took the empty plates away. Nina said nothing, her mind in constant turmoil as she considered the benefits and negatives of this change in their situations. William did nothing without incredible thought and intent, and she knew he had been attempting to entice the attention of select investors for months. He had graduate degrees from Harvard, MIT, and other schools. He had a doctorate of science, and his ambition was as unlimited as his imagination. She wondered if she had factored at all into his decision and if so what this would mean for them: freedom, liberation, his presence noticeably absent on campus but no longer bound by the restraints of his professorship.

Walter was upset but could not deny the benefits. Nina on the other hand was feeling anger toward him once again for not mentioning it to her sooner. Bell looked at her at last and asked, "Nina?"

Her eyes remained distant as she considered the ocean, the hand resting on the arm of her chair quiet. She was angry at him for not having mentioned it to her first. It was unusual how they reacted to her, how they revolved around her, for a moment ago she had been forgotten and now both of them were watching her, Walter with an almost anxious intensity, as if more concerned for her sake than his own. She seriously considered yelling at him. Fortunately, she did not have to answer, for Elisabeth returned. Oblivious to the tension at the table, she asked if Nina would assist her that morning.

"I would be honored to," said Nina, and rose to her feet, leaving them there not knowing what her answer was.

The bride kept her running hither and yon for hours on end, until her feet hurt and she simply ceased wearing high heels. Elisabeth was radiant, her dark hair stark against the simple hippie style of the gown, chiffon dripping off her veil. Her bridesmaids were dressed in a lovely shade of blue and Nina was glad not to be one of them, since it would have required standing during the ceremony. She avoided him before the service and from her seat at the front of the church in the quaint little chapel in town, she watched him throughout. He stood with Walter and she was pleased to see that Walter had returned his attention to the task at hand, no doubt reassured in her absence that nothing other than Bell's physical presence would change. He was aware of what that meant, but had chosen for the moment to dismiss it.

Although her attention lingered on the nuances of the service and she felt happiness for Walter and Elisabeth, her thoughts continually strayed to the possibilities. Though his dedication to preserving his reputation had at times proven frustrating, Nina realized she had begun to count on it, that in spite of her moments of weakness it had been a reassurance for her that what they had would never be tainted. It had kept them in an unusual limbo between platonic interest and deeper fascination and once he was no longer her professor, that barrier would be torn away. She would then be free to conduct a public relationship with him without fear of consequences. But was she brave enough to do it?

Lauren would have cautioned her against being too careful. _You are too timid, Nina,_ she had once said, dropping onto the bed, her blonde hair streaming around her like a golden sunburst. _Sometimes you just need to go for it, or go for him, whichever the case may be. It's not an assurance of love but it's certainly better than being alone._

She had always been too smart for the other boys and knew she wasn't quite smart enough for William Bell. He wanted her, and had from the very first moment she had stepped into his classroom. That scared her as much as it excited her.

"_Do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and cherish, for as long as you both shall live?_"

Her focus wandered from the beaming bride and grinning groom to Bell and found him looking at her. Everything retreated into the background, the voices falling distant into a murmur, and she knew he was curious as to whether or not she had forgiven him. Nina met his gaze without wavering and then lowered it. Now that the initial shock had passed her anger had gone with it and she was left with confusion and hurt.

Both returned their attention to the newlyweds as Walter was given permission to "kiss the bride." Everyone came to their feet in applause as they left and Bell stepped down to join her as they followed them out. His hand went around her bare arm and without a word or anyone noticing, he whisked her away through a side door into a storage room. The scent of flowers and hymnals washed over them and he released her, remaining between her and the door as if afraid she would try and escape. Regarding her with concern in his dark eyes, he said, "I am sorry. I should have told you."

"That is the unusual thing about you, William. You don't mind telling me that you've put sedatives in my drink but when it comes to something like this you are quite content to keep your secrets. Is that what it will always be like, a relationship built on a foundation of secrets?"

Crossing her arms, Nina leaned against one of the extra pews and challenged him to defend himself. Bell shrugged. "Nina, you know me. I am honest about what is important. I told you when I made up my mind, for until last night I was undecided."

In the distant she could hear the murmur of conversation, excitement in the air as rice was thrown on the leaving couple, who would drive back to the hotel and meet the guests for the reception. If anyone had noticed their absence no one had come to look for them. Her heart was in her throat, her voice quiet as she asked, "What made you choose to leave?"

"You cannot tell me you do not know the answer to that." Bell came forward and she did not resist him, lowering her gaze but allowing him to touch her arms, his fingertips sliding upward as he said, "It is one thing to see you at school every day, to pass you in the hall and not be able to say a word, to watch you at work in the laboratory, to drive you home, and another to want you as I wanted you so desperately last night. It is _torture_ to not touch you. If you knew _how many times_ I have come _this close_ to abandoning all my concern for your future career and violating my principles on school grounds, you would not think so highly of me. It was all I could do to keep my hands off you. You were there, almost in my arms but not quite. I _had_ to give you that sedative so you would not tempt me, because God help me, if you had done _anything_, I would not have had the strength to resist. I have tried for months to continue to look at you as one of my students and last night was the first time I completely failed."

His breathing quickened as his hand lingered at the side of her face, her pulse matching his in intensity as they studied one another. He had never been so honest with her and she found that exciting, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. He was a different man than she usually found in her arms, his desires obvious to her in the desperation of his embrace. There was more passion in that caress than she had ever experienced before, his usual restraints torn down, for she had demolished them. He clung to her as if to let go would mean his death, his body trembling, and she knew if it were not for their sacred surroundings he would have given in then and there. He had to pull back in order to breathe and said, "I do not know what you have done to me. I thought we could keep up this charade but it's obvious we can't."

Gently gripping the back of her head, he looked down at her. "When you asked me if you should transfer, I told you not to because I knew that was _my _responsibility; that if it came to one of us leaving it would have to be me. You fit in there much more than I do and my career can survive elsewhere; I did not want you to give up what you have begun to build, in your reputation, in your association with Walter. He will need you in the months to come."

"Walter needs both of us," she whispered. "You do not have to go."

Bell shook his head. "I wrongly assumed I could endure temptation for however long was necessary but last night proved me wrong. If I cannot share the same bed with you without resorting to arcane manipulations to keep us apart then I need to leave. I knew it would anger you and that's what I wanted, for anything to stand between us." His hands fell to the back of the pew on either side of her and his forehead rested against hers, growing quiet.

Nina ruefully thought he should have given in, then there would have been no confrontation, no anger between them, but it would not have suited them. It would have been opportunity rather than a choice, a deliberate action and one both of them had chosen. The faintest hint of a smile came over her face and she said, "You resorted to drugging me just to keep me from seducing you? _Oh, William_…"

"It seemed logical at the time," he answered wryly.

His frustration was hers as well, but she had always known it would come to this, that he would have to leave or she would have to transfer. Understanding passed between them and in its midst she found calm. Resting her hand against his lapel she said, "I admire you very much. I admire your dedication and your restraint even when it proves an endless source of frustration to me." Sliding off the back of the pew, she said, "Now, let's go to the reception and see them off and go home."

She knew he needed familiarity around him, the distractions of the lab. Nina too felt the desire to leave, but she would tolerate it as long as the bridal party remained.


	5. Chapter 5

This time the festivities were much more rambunctious and it was not until Walter and Elisabeth were placed in their station wagon, dragging beer cans and streamers behind them along with a "just married" sign that Nina was permitted to remove her shoes and escape. William went to check them out of the hotel and left her to pick up their room, changing into more comfortable clothes and throwing everything into their suitcases. He came to assist her in taking them downstairs and they did not stay in the room any longer than needed, sneaking downstairs in the hope of avoiding attention.

"Nina," said a familiar voice as Bell placed their things into his car, "you are leaving so soon?"

Gritting her teeth and forcing a smile, Nina turned around to address Walter's new mother-in-law. "I'm afraid so," she said, approaching for an air kiss, though she despised them. "William has responsibilities at the college and I am on babysitting duty for my goddaughter tomorrow, so we need to get back. But it was a lovely wedding and I am so happy for them. I am sure we will see much of one another."

The beautiful brunette nodded faintly, her attention lingering on Nina's companion as she said, "I hope so. Walter tells me Professor Bell is quite a promising young scientist. He must be persuaded to join our social circles, I am certain he would find interested investors."

"I am certain that would delight him," said Nina and slid into the car. She waved merrily as they pulled away from the curb and once out of eyesight, her smile faded and she said, "Horrible woman."

"You have a way with her, as you do with everyone. Perhaps I should employ you as my goodwill ambassador, for I have far less patience for such people than you seem to." Bell glanced sideways at her and she smirked, drawing her knees up and leaning against the open window, watching as cars and streets faded into familiar territory. The majority of the drive was made in silence and both of them were comfortable in it, neither one much of a social butterfly, their most contented moments of isolation together. Nina placed her hand on the seat between them and after a time he reached for it, his fingers molding around hers as shadows deepened and darkness descended, the warm spring evening enveloping them as they descended into the city.

He pulled up in front of the dorms and shifted into park, waiting for her to get out. Nina had been lost in thought for the last hundred miles and her hand hesitated on the door handle as she asked, "William, if all that remains is Lauren's energy, would she be bound by the laws of physics as we are or capable of transcending them?"

"You mean in traveling from place to place? Theoretically, she would not be bound as we are. Why?"

Lowering her fingers, Nina looked at him in the partial light, her eyes unusually dark in the gloom. "I want to know why she remains, if indeed she does. I want her to show me what it is about Olivia that is important. I want to give her control. Will you help me?"

Disbelief registered on his face and he shook his head. "Nina…"

"I cannot live like this, not knowing, and if you will not help me, I will do it alone."

She tugged at the door handle and he reached across and put down the lock. "It will _kill you_."

"But you can bring me back. I will only remain dead if you are not there." Nina pleaded with him in her gaze, both of them knowing she made no empty threat; she was as ruthless as he was, as determined, had just as few qualms. How many times had she hooked up test subjects to the machine without concern, flipped a switch and sent pulses through their minds? It was a kind of madness in her that reflected his own impish desires, and in that moment she knew he understood her better than ever before.

William stared at her for a lingering moment and then shifted the gears, pulling away from the curb and driving around the campus building, parking in the shadows of the corner lot nearest the door that led to the underground research laboratories. Resignation was in him as he got out and accompanied her downstairs, removing a key from his pocket and unlocking the door. He flipped on a switch and let her inside, locking it again behind them. Dim bulbs came to life and Nina went to their machine, the one they had been working on for months, on a theory of communicating with the mind in the after-effects of death. William had always been fascinated with the concept of life after death; it was a distant sort of realization as he removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "Lay down," he commanded, and threaded a hypodermic into a bottle of hallucinogenic drugs.

Her heart rate increased as she accommodated him, settling onto the table and permitting him to strap her down. From the intensity on his face she knew he did not like it, was reluctant to do it, and she felt a flicker of fear as she considered what she was about to risk on a hunch. Her theory was that Lauren remained, lingering until she had fulfilled what she wished Nina to do, and if both their energies were released from her body, Lauren would take her wherever she needed to go. She would have to die, temporarily. Bell had mastered the technique months ago; he had put rats to sleep only to wake them minutes later, an experiment the military was interested in as an interrogation method. "If Lauren does linger, Nina," he said, strapping down her ankle, his fingertips resting on her bare skin, "she will not like this."

Lauren had been similarly held down, her life also ended. She indicated he was to continue and he was quiet for a time, placing the machine over her head and turning the knobs. His back was to her and she watched him, remaining still as he satisfied his own curiosity. Bell turned and, taking her wrist, closed the strap over it. Nina flinched, an involuntary reaction, and he quickly turned to the machine. The needle measuring her brain waves was fluctuating wildly. He reached across and did the same to her other arm, the machine keeping track of her vital functions quickening its beeps. "I would say our theory is correct," he said. "Your brain pattern is unusual. I am going to give you something, to subdue your mind in the hope she emerges."

Whatever concern he had was overcome with fascination and she trusted him, knowing he would not endanger her unnecessarily. She felt the sting of a needle and her tension abated as she gave way to one of Walter's drugs; it spread through her system and caused her to relax into a state of drowsiness. He was speaking aloud and she realized he had turned on the audio recorder, words floating in and out of her mind that were meaningless but that excited him, for his tone altered in its pattern. Everything around her drifted and then she felt a stronger presence, one within her that caused her arms and legs to tinkle, almost to vibrate.

"Lauren," he said as if across a great distance, putting his hand on her arm, "listen to me. Trust me. Speak to me."

Her mouth moved and it was her voice that emerged though it was not her speaking; another had taken control. "_Let me go. Please, you must let me go!_"

The machine was lit up, its knobs and dials fluctuating wildly. Bell had never seen such strength radiating from it before, his hand remaining on Nina's arm, her one comfort against the fear spreading over her. It was not her fear but Lauren's and she realized the consciousness was not rational. "_You do not want to do this,_" Lauren pleaded through her; "_please, Garret, I have done nothing to you. Please, I must live! I must live for Olivia! She needs me…_"

_Ghosting—_that was what William called it, an energy force with the last violent memories of death. It was not Lauren but her echo, a faint hint of what she had once been, trapped within Nina and fading. Even in her state of drowsiness she did not know whether to rejoice or feel sorrow, for she was not possessed, merely had a hitchhiker.

Bell looked from the dials to her face, his hand moving to her shoulder. "I am not going to hurt you, Lauren," he said gently. "I am going to help you."

Nina shuddered; even subdued her consciousness was stronger than that of her friend and subconsciously she was attempting to take control. He assisted her, injecting her with an anecdote that would bring her out of it. Her self-awareness returned and with it, Lauren faded into the background. "There is a theory," he said as he shut off the recorder, "that memories of death are contained in the psyche, that it is possible to communicate with the last few functioning brain waves. It was the premise of this machine, why it was built, but we have only had nominal success with it. Lauren is not a ghost and she is not in you; her energy merely transferred into you, leaped into you, and you are experiencing its after-effects. With time it will fade completely."

She knew what he was asking her to do, to remain as she was, to permit him to continue testing it, to discern how it had happened and if it might be replicated. In one instant his theories and hopes for the future had faded but he was not yet convinced it wasn't possible. Lauren had given him proof that energy remained, dispersed, but hers contained not her soul so much as active fragments. "Maybe there was not enough of whatever hold she had over you, of whatever you shared, to draw her into you fully. Maybe what is needed to succeed in such a merging is a similar energetic source programmed to respond that particular entity."

"How much of her influence remains?" she asked.

Nina felt the pressure of the instrument on her head until he switched it off and removed it, brushing the hair away from the side of her face. He unstrapped her right arm and then the left, permitting her to sit up. He shrugged and crossed his arms, something he did whenever confronted with a decision that was not his to make. "She is weakening. There is a chance we can learn from her if you do not ask me to do what I know you want me to do."

"I do not want to let this chance pass without using it. What you might learn from her cannot be more valuable than what I might learn from her. Please, William." She did not reach out to him, but it felt as if she had, for she was keenly aware of his nearness. He looked at her in silence and she could tell he intended to refuse, but if nothing else he was forced to admit this was her choice. It was she who lived with the nightmares, the memories, she who had become a traveler. "There is a chance her energy will carry me further than I could ever manage on my own," she said. "You have told me many times that science must come before personal gain, that if a chance comes we must take it. You can bring me back and what better way to prove your theory about life after death? Let me try it."

Quiet surrounded them and she reached out to rest her palm on his chest, drawing him into the depths of her blue eyes. "Trust me," she said.

"It will hurt," he answered.

He was not afraid of losing her; he trusted his methods, but still there was reluctance in him. Nina curved her mouth upwards into a smile and answered, "The truth usually does."

"I might not be able to revive you," he said.

Lifting her brows, Nina said, "I doubt that. But just in case…"

She leaned forward and kissed him. His free hand slid up her back as he responded, lingering for a long moment over her upturned lips. There was an urgent sensuality in them both, a deeper realization that this might end what they had forever. Nina felt excitement mingled with trepidation as he went to his table, filling a hypodermic. He took a moment over his calculations, knowing that a rat was different from the woman he loved. Intensity rushed through her as he returned, holding the needle in one hand, looking to her once more for assurance. She nodded. Bell reached out and touched the side of her face tenderly, his eyes softening as he looked at her. Then he plunged the instrument into her neck and sent the drug coursing through her veins. Nina gasped, shuddered, and fell back onto the table, flat-lining. The room around her receded and then disappeared.

Flashes passed before her eyes as Lauren's energy took her forward, flickering in and out of time. Images passed before her so quickly she had no time to process them: tears and laughter, headstones and towering buildings of chrome and glass; she saw Massive Dynamic and Walter and Bell; she saw a small blonde child scream and cover her ears, such tremendous power radiating outward from her that she incinerated the room and blew the power for miles; she saw a field of white tulips and bald-headed Observers; she saw a flicker and a transition, a room in a distant building, a cup of tea, a golden bell on the desk; she saw William and what he had become, how time had changed him; she saw Olivia scramble away from a raised hand, the man's face a blur as the child dug into the bottom of a drawer and pulled out a gun; it went off; she felt pain and emptiness and strength; death, destruction, and love; the flashes were no longer only of Lauren's travels but her own life; she saw herself standing at Walter's side, her arm around Elisabeth as they watched dirt fall onto a small coffin; she heard heavy breathing, William's face visible for just an instant as he made love to her in a darkened room; she saw William's death, for Olivia was there, standing in the midst of a great, darkened theater on the stage; the machine was powered by his energy, and he was very old, his body giving way into a continuous flow of light that surrounded, enveloped them and then…

Nina felt an explosion of agony in her mind that caused the images to evaporate in a rush of wind, carrying her consciousness back into her human body and returning with a gasp. Her eyes flew open and she half-lifted up from the table before collapsing back onto it with shuddering breaths. She felt his hands against the side of her face as Bell looked at her, shining a light into her eyes and making certain she was wholly conscious. "I left it as long as I dared," he said. At her shiver he placed his coat around her shoulders, assisting her in sitting up.

The memories were still in her although she could not sort them out, for there were too many and some she was not certain she wanted to fully explore. Massive Dynamic, the most powerful scientific foundation in the world, all marbled corridors and glass and chrome; Olivia entering her office for the first time, acting as if they had never met, for they hadn't, not that she would remember. Bell had remarked on Olivia as being an unusual child from the first moment he had seen her. It would occur to him in time, if he were not already aware of it, that she might possess the same genetic abnormalities as her aunt. Olivia might be capable of even greater power under the right experiments. He would use her, him and Walter. But none of that mattered.

His hand lingered at the side of her face, his fingers woven beneath the soft waves of her hair; never had she felt so close to him in the knowledge of what he might one day become. He was not that man yet, for he was hers now, hers and no one else's; their world had not been shaken, their resolve not shattered, his presence surrounding her in its warmth as he did not press for information so much as wait for her to give it to him. Her concern that his departure from Harvard would cause their relationship to deteriorate faded and she reached up to touch his face also, her fingertips gentle. "I nearly lost you," he said.

"But you didn't. You will never lose me."

Wrapping her fingers around the back of his neck, she drew his mouth to hers. She had much to tell him of what she had seen, what she knew and a few things she could never reveal. They were but shadows of the future, memories of things that had not yet happened. He could wait to hear them. And this time, he did not resist.

It was fitting they should consummate their love beneath his sketch of Massive Dynamic, the moonlight shining on it through the open window of his apartment. He kissed her gently, restrained at first, but as her arms went around his neck he put his hands at her waist, maneuvering her beneath him. Nina allowed him to take control, his mouth opening hers and teasing her with his tongue. She could feel every response in his body and hers, straining against one another between the sheets, warmth spreading through her at the exploration of his fingers. Though she had never done this before, the knowledge was instinctive and her responses encouraged him. There was no urgency in his caresses, in the lips that sent delighted shudders through her as he kissed her neck, his teeth barely closing around her earlobe. He was content to take his time, as curious about her as she was about him. His hands wandered and awakened reactions in her, unfamiliar but exciting. Her fingers ran up his back and her breath caught sharply in her throat as he joined them. He paused at her reaction, not having realized it was her first time. She had never trusted him more than in that moment as he allowed her to gather composure in the warmth of his arms, his deep voice whispering into her ear soft reassurances. He waited until she relaxed again to continue.

Gradually, there was less pain and in its absence came different sensations. She had not made a sound until now and he delighted in her faint admission of pleasure, moving them together between the sheets. She was aware of nothing outside him other than the moonlight and their labored breathing. Months of waiting, of restraint, of desire flowed between them in their mutual relief, months of unspoken intentions and ignoring one another in public, months of secrecy and frustration. She was not his student anymore and it was not her mind he most wanted or took the greatest satisfaction in. Tilting her head back in the pillows, she bit down on her lip to prevent from moaning, their bodies sliding against one another as his breath hitched in his throat. His body tensed and he tightened his grip on her, their hearts still beating in unison before he eased against her. Sweat glinted in the curve of his neck, her skin damp with exertion. His hand touched the side of her face and he lifted up his head to kiss her.

She loved him. More than he would ever believe, more than she could say, more than either one of them would admit. It was an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't say it, even though everything he did for her was an admission; every time he had looked at her in the classroom, every time he had refrained from touching her, every time he _had_ touched her. Lauren had once asked her if it was love or lust, and Nina had not answered. But now she knew it was not lust, as lust could not be so gentle, so tender, so meaningful, or leave her with such happiness in its aftermath. She would love him no matter what he became, and she would do her best to hold him back, to attempt to prevent him from changing too much, just as she would protect Olivia as best she could; to be a ghost, to be a distant memory, to be of significance without a mortal presence in her life… perhaps that would be the greatest scientific challenge of all.

It was ironic, she thought. Lauren had come and gone, leaving Nina with more than memories but an instinct of the storm that was to come. She could not stop it, so much as prepare for it.

And she would do it only as a Ghost; a Recollection Olivia would never have… an Imprint.


End file.
